2009 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule Analysis
Little Pressure and No Televised Games for the 2009 Season
Apr 14, 2009
The Bengals open the season with a home game against the revamped Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. Whether the Bengals will be improved depends largely on Carson Palmer’s recovered elbow.
Palmer is expected to make his return from the elbow injury that kept him on the sidelines for almost all of 2008. The name Ocho Cinco will also make its official debut on the back of No. 85's jersey.
The home game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 may be the most attended game of the season for the Bengals.
2009 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
1 Sun, Sep 13 Denver 1:00 PM
2 Sun, Sep 20 @ Green Bay 1:00 PM
3 Sun, Sep 27 Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
4 Sun, Oct 4 @ Cleveland 1:00 PM
5 Sun, Oct 11 @ Baltimore 1:00 PM
6 Sun, Oct 18 Houston 1:00 PM
7 Sun, Oct 25 Chicago 1:00 PM
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun, Nov 8 Baltimore 1:00 PM
10 Sun, Nov 15 @ Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
11 Sun, Nov 22 @ Oakland 4:15 PM
12 Sun, Nov 29 Cleveland 1:00 PM
13 Sun, Dec 6 Detroit 1:00 PM
14 Sun, Dec 13 @ Minnesota 1:00 PM
15 Sun, Dec 20 @ San Diego 4:05 PM
16 Sun, Dec 27 Kansas City 1:00 PM
17 Sun, Jan 3 @ NY Jets 1:00 PM
2009 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule Analysis
The Chicago Bears roll into Cincinnati for a Week 7 matchup that pits new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. By that time, Cutler should be in sync with his receivers, but the Bengals will have had time to scout Chicago's not-so-secret weapon.
Which teams played in the final regular-season game at Giants Stadium in 2009? The answer to that future trivia question is the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets.
Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
It's fitting that new Bengals wide receiver Laveranues Coles should play in the final game in the stadium he called home for seven seasons as a member of the Jets.
Among the four teams in the AFC North, the Bengals play the toughest schedule, based on their opponents' records from 2008. But Cincinnati does not play any division foes in the final five games, so it needs a hot start to compete. The loss of wide receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh will certainly hurt Palmer’s game but if Ocho Cinco matures, it could be a more balanced unit.
The Bengals did not travel further west than Dallas last season. In 2009, they will log plenty of frequent flyer miles with road trips to Oakland in Week 11 and San Diego in Week 15. These types of trips often times bring teammates together and allow them to refocus after spending time at home with the distractions of family and friends.
The schedule is not sexy by any means, but that could be just what the doctor ordered for the Bengals.
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